Page 31 of Seer
He stood up. “No, but this is the second vision I’ve had with the same weird fog. The first one, the cops found the victim’s duffel bag right where my vision said he’d been. But there was no sign of the guy or what happened to him.”
“Hold on.” I put up a hand. “You’ve had a vision about this fog before? And someone died?”
He swung his backpack over one shoulder using the remaining strap. “Or vanished. But that guy screamed too.”
I swallowed. “Was he also a Wonder?”
Cal cocked his head, his magic sparking. “A Wonder?”
I grimaced. “Part of what I need to explain to you. A magical being, a non-human person, usually with abilities or physical characteristics that have to be hidden from the general human public.”
“Magic,” Cal said. He shrugged and nodded. “Got it. Um....” He tilted his head and closed his mesmerizing eyes. “It was night, so I couldn’t see him very well to begin with. But the guy didn’t seem to have any trouble seeing in the dark. He was walking along a road, and when he got scared he ran for the trees—like your friend did in my vision this morning. But he bent over, and I didn’t tell the police this, but it almost seemed like he started running on all fours.” He opened his eyes and the full weight of his gaze punched into my brain. “Like a shifter.”
“Fuck,” I said. “I’m coming with you.”
I checked with Craig to make sure he didn’t need me for anything the rest of the day. I could tell he was dying to ask where Cal and I were going, but he just smiled and said they’d be fine without me.
“I can drive,” I told Cal when we walked out of the pet resort. “You can navigate.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Sure.”
I silently breathed out in relief. I could not handle riding in Cal’s trash-covered truck on top of the stress of figuring out what was after Annie.
We got into my SUV, and I was relieved the seats were far enough apart that Cal’s and my magic couldn’t quite connect. But the sparks kept reaching for each other. Shit, I’d have tobe careful today, or I’d end up halfway to being bonded without meaning to.
And this was a much smaller space than the office, so I couldn’t avoid Cal’s scent. The spilled coffee on his shirt didn’t override the minty-herbal smell of his body wash and his enticing underlying musky man scent. Damn, I wanted to stick my nose in his armpit. Or his groin.
I mentally slapped myself. That would not be happening.
Grimly I started the SUV and backed out of the parking space. Before I’d even reached the road in front of the pet resort, Cal had pulled a cable from his backpack, plugged his phone into my car, and entered our destination into the navigation app. Why the hell did the Chief Technology Officer of a software company drive a technology-free rattletrap pickup truck?
“We’ll be there in thirty-four minutes,” Cal said. He dropped his phone into the tray on the console between our seats. “Since we have the time, why don’t you start by telling me about Wonders? Wait, scratch that. Start with you. Your mom’s psychic. What abilities do you have?”
I took one hand off the wheel and rubbed my neck. “I have some enhanced senses, like smell, hearing, that sort of thing. But mainly I’m what was originally called a Center. I can create magical connections with Wonders, and kind of keep tabs on them if they stay within a certain distance.” I drew a circle in the air with my forefinger to demonstrate. “I also act as a sort of mediator if any of the Wonders I’m connected to need help or accidentally expose themselves to humans.” I shrugged. “Mostly it ends up being non-magical assistance like helping them with housing or jobs.”
Cal digested this for a moment. “That’s... interesting.”
I chuckled. “It doesn’t pay anything, but it’s rewarding.”
“Okay. So what’s a Cassandra? Oh, and what the fuck was up with those guys outside the restaurant yesterday morning?” He glared at me.
I sighed. The navigation app said we had thirty-one minutes left.
“It’ll take hours to tell you everything, so I’ll give you a basic overview right now and we can get into the details later, okay?”
“Fine.” He picked up his phone. “I’m gonna take notes, though, so I don’t forget all my questions.”
“Great.” I tried to moderate my sarcasm at the last second. It wasn’t Cal’s fault he got thrown into this.
Even as I watched the road, I could sense his magic sparking out, trying to reach mine. It would be so easy to lean his way and feel the warmth of a new connection.
Nope. I glanced over at Cal’s stained t-shirt. It was the splash of cold water I needed. He was obviously a great guy, but I could never be with him, much less live with him.
Not to mention how wrong it’d be to create a connection without his consent.
I cleared my throat. “Wonders—paranormal people—have always existed. But they didn’t evolve on Earth. They came through portals from another dimension. Most of them kept to themselves, but as the human population increased, Wonders were killed for being ‘monsters’, or their habitats were destroyed. Their numbers dropped and some species died out here completely.”
Cal nodded. “Makes sense. Humans’ first reaction tends to be to kill whatever they don’t understand.”
